As kids we were always forced to eat right…and now that we wishfully want to do so, our social circuit kind of goes against it. This blog is created to make all those fitness freaks realise that they are not alone in this battle. Read On for some relatable articles and some doable diets.

Monday, October 26, 2009

EFFECTIVE WAYS TO BEAT STRESS:Certain level of stress actually keeps you going. In fact this certain level is actually a driving force behind most of our daily activity. This is good stress and not the kind you should get worried about. However when stress goes above the threshold that is when you should be alarmed and start doing something about it.TIPS FOR MANAGING STRESS:

EXERCISE: exercise is one of the most effective ways of beating stress and should never be neglected. Get out of your sedentary living; join a gym, or do kickboxing, pilates or aerobic yoga. Think of exercise as something to unwind rather than as a chore. It is your first step against your battle with stress.

DIET: Ø Eat foods high in fiber e.g. fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals.Ø Cut down on salt, sugar, nicotine and caffeine, red meat, alcohol and saturated fats. No one is saying to give them up completely just limit.Ø Increase your antioxidant intake. Include fresh fruits and vegetables, which are loaded with these.

One of the biggest drawbacks to eating at your desk is that you're not focused on your food. Instead, you're sending e-mail, answering the phone, shuffling paper- the perfect recipe for overeating.Eating at your desk encourages mindless eating, and overeating. You're most likely multitasking and not paying attention to the amount of food you're eating. Lunching at your desk also means that instead of sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day, you're doing it for nine.Eating at your desk also prevents you from getting up and out of your office. You need to get the heart pumping and the blood flowing again, and lunch is an important time to do that. If you're sitting at your desk eating, you lose that opportunity.As if that weren't bad enough, dining at your desk can create a field day for bacteria.If you get called away from your desk, and then you have to put off eating for an hour or two, and then you pick at your lunch over the day, you need to be concerned about the temperature of your food and food safety.In other words, your room-temperature chicken salad sandwich that's been sitting out for three hours can easily become a bacteria feeding ground. But wait, it gets worse. (You might want to put that sandwich down now.)The desk, in terms of bacteria, is 400 times more dirty than your toilet. People turn their desks into bacteria cafeterias because they eat at them, but they never clean them. The phone is the dirtiest, the desktop is next, and the mouse and the computer follow.To give your desktop the dirt test, turn your keyboard over and see how many crumbs fall out. The more of a snowstorm, the dirtier your desk.7 Tips for Desk-Bound DinersClearly, it's time to find a new place to dine, like a restaurant or the cafeteria. But for those of us who just can't break away from that ever-expanding pile of work, here are some tips for improving the desk-dining experience:1. Watch what you eat. Pay attention to what you're putting in your mouth when you eat at your desk. And don't overdo it by eating too much because you're too focused on email. For lunch, you want to pick a meal that's moderate in size but doesn't fill you up.2. Bring your lunch. Lunch is a good opportunity to eat health.Bring a salad with chicken, nuts, beans and veggies- you'll get some great nutrients, including fiber and protein. Avoid takeout lunches, which tend to be expensive, oversized, heavy in fat and calories, and lacking in nutrients. To keep your lunch safe, the American Dietetic Association recommends using an insulated lunch bag with a freezer pack to keep your food cold until you can put in the office refrigerator. But don't let more than two hours pass before putting it back into a fridge.3. Walk when you can. We're genetically designed to move. So spending lunch at your desk when you have a long day as it is, isn't a good thing. If you have to eat at your desk, look for ways to move during the day.4. Disinfect your desk. Wiping your whole desk area with disinfecting wipes once a day is enough to get it clean, Paper towels don't work. They just give the germs a free ride around the office. Be sure to get your phone, your keyboard, and your mouse as well, and avoid touching those surfaces while you're eating.6. Eat with a friend. If you have to eat at your desk, invite an officemate over to eat with you. It's important from a productivity and creativity standpoint to get that break and interact with your colleagues.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

The following label building skills are intended to make it easier for you to use nutrition labels to make quick, informed food choices that contribute to a healthy diet.The Nutrition Facts Label - An Overview:The information in the main or top section can vary with each food product; it contains product-specific information (serving size, calories, and nutrient information). The bottom part contains a footnote with Daily Values (DVs) for 2,000 and 2,500-calorie diets. This footnote provides recommended dietary information for important nutrients, including fats, sodium and fiber. The footnote is found only on larger packages and does not change from product to product.

Tips to use food labels effectively:· Pay attention to the serving size, especially how many servings there are in the food package. Then ask yourself, "How many servings am I consuming"? (e.g., 1/2 serving, 1 serving, or more) · Keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.· The % Daily Values are based on the Daily Value recommendations for key nutrients according to the specified caloric diet (e.g.2000 cal diet)· To limit nutrients that have no %DV, like trans fat and sugars, compare the labels of similar products and choose the food with the lowest amount.· Hypertensive people and people with renal disorders should pay special attention to sodium content of the food. Also check out for preservatives like sodium benzoate. Avoid these.· Look out for terms like- ‘high fiber’, ‘low fat’, ‘no preservative’, ‘sugar free’, ‘0 trans fat’, ‘cholesterol free’, ‘no MSG’; to ensure that you are picking out a healthy option.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

HEALTHY EATING-A WAY OF LIFE:In our day to day life where most of us don’t even have the time to breathe, we often tend to forget one of the most important aspects of our life….food…no no, not food, our eating habit! We are in a constant pursuit of meeting targets and meeting deadlines, and in this fast life, many of us have resorted to the simpler way of having meals and that is Fast Food; which according to me is the fastest way to all our health problems.

There are actually some easy ways through which we can inculcate good eating habits. Some simple health tips which can be easily adapted by us in our busy lifestyle:

Have your breakfast: Literally translated it means “Breaking the fast”& supplies energy to the body for the day. So it is the most important meal of the day. Those who eat breakfast consume fewer calories than those who skip it. It Increases concentration and problem solving ability. Always have a nutritious breakfast, as the body is most receptive to nutrition during this time.

Healthy snacking:Choose wisely: Snacking becomes integral part of our diet and it is during this meal when we tend to binge on to extra calories. Substitute those fried French fries with something healthier like roasted nuts or khakra; skip the colas and coffee and sip the juice.

Eat as much natural and raw foods as possible. Consume seasonal foods because they are at their maximum nutritious value during this time.

Drink atleast 10-12 glasses of water every day. This helps to flush out the toxins and also helps in the process of fat metabolism.

Apart from the above general good eating habits its also important to Exercise regularly. Join fitness program combine with cardio, strength training and stretching for a balanced approach. Learn how body will gain strength and improve mood and sleep patterns. If joining a gym or yoga classes sounds like too much work, make easier options in your daily life- take stairs instead of elevator, use public transport and walk till the stop (will be better for your monthly budget too!),walk while you are on the phone, stretch yourself every 30 minutes during your work etc.

Habits matter! The choices you make each day impact your body and effect how you feel. It can feel difficult to make right choices, but mostly it is just our ideas that make it seem hard. As you follow your own inner wisdom, you will find that it gets easier. Instead of forcing yourself to do the “right” thing, you are able to tune in to what works for you.

On a final note I would only like to say : Your body is the only place you have to live so take care of it!